Storefront Report

SILVER LAKE -- There's no shortage of skateboarders roaming the streets and sidewalks of Silver Lake. But those skaters don't have many neighborhood options when it comes to buying a new skateboard deck or accessories, said Christopher Chough. That's why Chough decided to open The Banks, a skateboard and apparel store on Sunset Boulevard.

SILVER LAKE -- A new Silver Lake Boulevard sushi restaurant is looking to hire a head sushi chef to oversee daily kitchen operations, reports Eater L.A. But the lack of a head sushi chef did not stop Yakuza Sushi from holding a soft opening on Thursday, according to Yelp.

ECHO PARK -- The lulling sounds of a Buddhist chant box invite passersby to peep inside the small store at the corner of Echo Park and Scott Avenues. Inside, in an otherworldly setting, a wild variety of cacti displayed on cinder blocks are jammed into the 350-square-foot shop, illuminated by red light bulbs that decorate the walls. Welcome to Echo Park’s cactus shop.

SILVER LAKE -- A new barbecue spot, Charcoal, on Hyperion Avenue is seeking to be the pitmaster of Silver Lake, reports EaterLA. It replaces the old Lago D'argento Pizzeria and opened this week. Charcoal touts itself as a modern Kansas City style of barbecue, with chef Jeremy Zimmerman in charge of a 1,700-pounds smoker.

GLASSELL PARK -- When it came to time to expand into Northeast L.A., Jenna Turner, who operates Chango Coffee in Echo Park and owns Sunset Junction Coffee Shop in Silver Lake, skipped over York Boulevard, already brimming with new cafes and shops. That's how she ended up in Glassell Park, where she plans to open the doors to a new coffee shop, Habitat Coffee Shop on Friday.

HIGHLAND PARK -- Juice cleansing comes to Highland Park with The Juice on York Boulevard. The store is the second for co-owners Elizabeth Halpern and Melissa Cronkhite, whose first juice shop in Atwater Village allows customers to try and reverse their not-so-healthy habits with green apple, lemon, kale and triple ginger juice or chocolate almond milk if juice cleansing seems intimidating.

ECHO PARK -- Do British pubs usually have valet stands out front and serve salads with goat cheese? Perhaps not but when your 6,000 miles away from the British Isles, you probably have to be flexible and adapt to local customs and tastes. In this case, The Lost Knight -"A British Pub," according to the signs - has updated the old-world concept for modern-day Echo Park.

HIGHLAND PARK -- Thank You Comics will be closing shop at the end of February after opening up on York Boulevard more than 2-1/2 years ago.The final day for new comics will be Wednesday, February 25, according to an email the comic shop sent out Wednesday. “We understand that finding a local comic shop that fits your needs can be difficult and would like to offer you the very same subscription services at our sister-store, The Secret Headquarters, in Silver Lake.”

HIGHLAND PARK — The former home of Frank’s Highland Park Camera shop sold last fall for the handsome sum of $3.4 million. Now, the new owners, who were profiled in last year’s Marketplace series on Highland Park gentrification, are seeking new tenants to fill up the ... Read More »

BOYLE HEIGHTS – If Boyle Heights was a beer, what would it taste like? Beer drinkers will soon find out after a new neighborhood brewery – the second now underway in the neighborhood – opens and starts making beers featuring wild, airborne yeast from Boyle Heights. ... Read More »